Old gas station pumped its last 'fill 'er up' in '30s
The Ralph's Service Station building in the historic Armory Park neighborhood serves as an example of longevity.
The building has stood at the corner of South Fourth Avenue and East 19th Street for more than 80 years. However, if your car breaks down or runs out of gas, you're out of luck.
The station hasn't serviced a vehicle since the late 1930s. The service station was built between 1929 and 1930 after the lot was bought by Ralph Montijo, said his son, Ralph Montijo Jr.
Montijo Jr. said the green-and-white metal building was the first prefabricated gas station in Tucson.
"He brought it in and set it up on that corner," he said.
Later on, the elder Montijo built a large shed behind the station, which he used as an auto shop, his son said. "It could hold eight cars. It was a pretty big garage."
Montijo also built two apartments next to the station, one of which housed his family, his son said.
His entrepreneurial spirit wasn't rewarded with many customers, though. The property went into foreclosure about eight years after it opened, his son said. The location, along with the Great Depression, brought on the station's demise.
Both streets at the intersection were unpaved, and the majority of traffic traveled down Sixth Avenue, he said.
"There wasn't any real traffic on South Fourth Avenue," he said. "My dad probably picked the worst intersection to build a gas station."
The station has had many occupants over the years, including a cabinetmaker, said Patricia Tarsha, an investor in the property.
